Archie Bland

James Franklin Archibald "Archie" Bland[1] (born 1983),[2] is a British newspaper journalist. He is the only child of Sir Christopher Bland,[3][4] and half-brother to four siblings from his mother's earlier marriage to Thomas Edmund Byng, the 8th Earl of Strafford.[5]

Archie Bland
Born
James Franklin Archibald Bland

(1983-10-07) 7 October 1983
Abbots Worthy, Hampshire, England
NationalityBritish
EducationWinchester College, Hampshire
(independent boarding school)
Alma materEmmanuel College, Cambridge
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York City
OccupationJournalist, editor, author
EmployerThe Guardian
Known forSenior writer, The Guardian newspaper (Sept. 2014 -)
Senior writer, The Independent newspaper (July 2013 – Sept. 2014)
Deputy Editor, The Independent – weekday edition (Apr. 2012 – July 2013)
editor, The Independent – Sat. edition
Foreign Editor, The Independent
(Oct. 2010 – Apr.2012)
Multiple award-winning graduate journalist & features writer
Last winner of The Weakest Link
Spouse(s)Ruth Spencer (April 2019 - present)
FamilySon of Sir Christopher Bland and Lady Bland; Half-brother of (Lady) Georgia Byng and (The Hon.) Jamie Byng

Bland was the deputy editor of The Independent, a national British newspaper, a post to which he was appointed in April 2012, at the age of 28.[6] He was also the editor of the Saturday edition of The Independent. He was one of the youngest people to have ever been appointed to a senior editorial post in the British national newspaper industry, described as "easily the youngest deputy editor in the paper's history, the youngest in national newspapers today and perhaps ever on Fleet Street".[6]

In July 2013, Bland took up a new role as senior writer at both The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers,[7] and in September 2014, he joined The Guardian newspaper. He later became Deputy National Editor of The Guardian.[8]

Early life

Bland was born on 7 October 1983, the only child of Sir Christopher Bland,[4] the former chairman of the BBC's Board of Governors (the forerunner of the BBC Trust), British Telecom, the Royal Shakespeare Company,[9] London Weekend Television and a number of other companies,[3] as well as Deputy Chairman of the former Independent Broadcasting Authority,[3] and Lady Bland (née Jennifer Mary Denise May),[5] the daughter of William May, a former Northern Irish Minister for Education.[10]

Bland is the half-brother of four siblings, through his mother's earlier marriage to the Earl of Strafford, among whom are the author (Lady) Georgia Byng and (The Hon.) Jamie Byng, the owner of publishing house Canongate Books.[5]

Education

Between the years 1997–2002,[11] Bland was educated at Winchester College,[12] a boarding independent school for boys in Winchester in Hampshire, where he stayed at Boarding House I,[11] known as Turner's (and informally as Hopper's).[13] At Winchester, Bland obtained four A*s, three A's and two B's at GCSE,[12] followed by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, at which he became the editor of Varsity, the student newspaper of the university.[14] He was named Guardian Student Columnist of the Year in 2004 (part of the Guardian Student Media Award), for his work as Varsity's Editor,[15] and elected to a Senior Exhibition in the years 2004 – 2005,[11] gaining a First in English Literature (BA). He received the Fulbright Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism[16] (part of the Fulbright Program) for 2006–7, a scholarship which enabled him to study at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, from which he received a master's degree in Journalism in 2007.[17] He graduated from Columbia with Honors, receiving the School's Henry N. Taylor Award.[18]

Life and career

Bland joined The Independent on Sunday newspaper in 2007 as a graphics researcher. In October 2010 he became Foreign Editor, replacing Katherine Butler, and Deputy Editor of the paper in April 2012.[6] He was a regular columnist in the Independent, and a contributor to the Columbia Journalism Review.[19] In September 2014, Bland left the Independent to work for the Guardian newspaper.

Bland won the last-ever episode of the BBC television game show The Weakest Link, in March 2012.[1] He had previously appeared on the programme in 2003, at the age of 19.[20]

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References
  1. Bland, Archie (24 March 2012). "'You are the weakest link, goodbye!': What's it like to face Anne Robinson on the cult quiz show?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  2. "Gorkana". gorkana.com. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  3. Marianne Macdonald (14 January 1996). "Auntie in his pocket". The Independent. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  4. Martinson, Jane (10 February 2006). "Interview: Sir Christopher Bland". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. The Peerage
  6. Pugh, Andrew (3 April 2012). "Archie Bland becomes Indy's youngest deputy editor". Press Gazette. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  7. "Archie Bland". The Independent.
  8. "Archie Bland". Muckrack.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  9. Who's Who – Sir Christopher Bland Published by: Royal Shakespeare Company. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  10. Rt. Hon. William Morrison May The Peerage.Com Date: 1 March 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  11. The Trusty Servant (No.98) Page 12: Old Wykehamist News (first entry on p.12) Published by: Wykehamist Society of Winchester College. Date: November 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  12. "Varsity Showdown (page 7)" (PDF). Varsity (student newspaper), University of Cambridge. 28 January 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  13. "Boarding at Winchester – I. Turner's (Hopper's)". Winchester College, Hants. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  14. Cambridge – Kebab shop is spared from closure BBC News Date: 7 October 2004. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  15. Remember my name – Student columnist of the year. Winner: Archie Bland, Varsity Published by: The Guardian newspaper. Date: 15 November 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  16. Contributors – Archie Bland Archived 11 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine The New York Review of Magazines. Date: 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  17. Source:  Independent (UK). "Archie Bland: The Big Question ... How important was Charles Darwin, and what is his legacy today? | History News Network". Hnn.us. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. Murdoch's Hacking Scandal Published by: Columbia Journalism Review. Author: Ryan Chittum. Date: 6 May 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  20. As Robinson says 'Goodbye', our man Archie wins the last Weakest Link Source: The Independent newspaper Date: 2 April 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012
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